Atlas of Coastal Ecosystems in the Western Gulf of California

Atlas of Coastal Ecosystems in the Western Gulf of California PDF

Author: Markes E. Johnson

Publisher: University of Arizona Press

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 9780816525300

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The Gulf of California is one of the most beautiful places in the world, but it is also important to earth and marine scientists who work far beyond the area. In text and an accompanying CD-ROM with stunning satellite images, this atlas captures the dynamics of natural cycles in the fertility of the Gulf of California that have been in near-continuous operation for more than five million years. The book is designed to answer key questions that link the health of coastal ecosystems with the regionÕs evolutionary history: What was the richness of ÒfossilÓ ecosystems in the Gulf of California? How has it changed over time? Which ecosystems are most amenable to conservation? With an emphasis on the intricate workings of the Gulf, a team of scientists led by Markes E. Johnson and Jorge Ledesma-V‡zquez explores how marine invertebrates such as corals and bivalves, as well as certain algae, contribute to the operation of a vast Òorganic engineÓ that acts as a significant carbon trap. The Atlas reveals that the role of these organisms in the ecology of the Gulf was greatly underestimated in the past. The organisms that live in these environments (or provide the sediments for beaches and dunes) are mass producers of calcium carbonate. Until now, no book has considered the centrality of calcium carbonate production as it functions today across multiple ecosystems and how it has evolved over time. An important work of scholarship that also evokes the regionÕs natural splendor, the Atlas will be of interest to a wide range of scientists, including geologists, paleontologists, marine biologists, ecologists, and conservation biologists.

Ecological Connectivity among Tropical Coastal Ecosystems

Ecological Connectivity among Tropical Coastal Ecosystems PDF

Author: Ivan Nagelkerken

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2009-09-23

Total Pages: 617

ISBN-13: 9048124069

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Mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and coral reefs are circumtropical ecosystems that are highly productive, and provide many important biological functions and economic services. These ecosystems cover large surface areas in the shallow tropical coastal seascape but have suffered from serious human degradation, especially in the last few decades. Part of their diversity, productivity, and functioning seems to be based on their juxtaposition. Especially in the last decade significant advances have been made on new insights into their ecological connectivity. This authoritative book provides a first-time comprehensive review of the major ecological interactions across tropical marine ecosystems that result from the mutual exchange of nutrients, organic matter, fish, and crustaceans. A group of leading authors from around the world reviews the patterns and underlying mechanisms of important biogeochemical and biological linkages among tropical coastal ecosystems in 15 chapters. Included are chapters that review cutting-edge tools to study and quantify these linkages, the importance of such linkages for fisheries, and how tropical ecosystems should be conserved and managed for sustainable use by future generations. The book uses examples from all over the world and provides an up-to-date review of the latest published literature. This book is a ‘must read’ for professionals working on the conservation, management, and ecology of mangrove, seagrass and coral reef ecosystems.

Coastal Ecosystems in Transition

Coastal Ecosystems in Transition PDF

Author: Thomas C. Malone

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2020-12-17

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1119543568

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Explores how two coastal ecosystems are responding to the pressures of human expansion The Northern Adriatic Sea, a continental shelf ecosystem in the Northeast Mediterranean Sea, and the Chesapeake Bay, a major estuary of the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States, are semi-enclosed, river-dominated ecosystems with urbanized watersheds that support extensive industrial agriculture. Coastal Ecosystems in Transition: A Comparative Analysis of the Northern Adriatic and Chesapeake Bay presents an update of a study published two decades ago. Revisiting these two ecosystems provides an opportunity to assess changing anthropogenic pressures in the context of global climate change. The new insights can be used to inform ecosystem-based approaches to sustainable development of coastal environments. Volume highlights include: Effects of nutrient enrichment and climate-driven changes on critical coastal habitats Patterns of stratification and circulation Food web dynamics from phytoplankton to fish Nutrient cycling, water quality, and harmful algal events Causes and consequences of interannual variability The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals. Read a review of this book in Marine Ecology review of this book

Coastal Marine Ecosystems of Latin America

Coastal Marine Ecosystems of Latin America PDF

Author: U. Seeliger

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2000-10-18

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 3540672281

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Coastal and marine ecosystems, some severely degraded, other still pristine, control rich resources of inshore environments and coastal seas of Latin America's Pacific and Atlantic margins. Conflicts between the needs of the region's nations and diminishing revenues and environmental quality have induced awareness of coastal ecological problems and motivated financial support for restoration and management. The volume provides a competent review on the structure, processes and function of 22 important Latin American coastal marine ecosystems. Each contribution describes the environmental settings, biotic components and structure of the system, considers trophic processes and energy flow, evaluates the modifying influence of natural and human perturbations, and suggests management needs. Although the focus of the book is on basic ecological research, the results have application for coastal managers.

Blue Carbon in Shallow Coastal Ecosystems

Blue Carbon in Shallow Coastal Ecosystems PDF

Author: Tomohiro Kuwae

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-09-03

Total Pages: 373

ISBN-13: 9811312958

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This book presents a comprehensive and innovative understanding of the role of shallow coastal ecosystems in carbon cycling, particularly marine carbon sequestration. Incorporating a series of forward-looking chapters, the book combines thorough reviews of the global literature and regional assessments—mainly around the Indo-Pacific region and Japan—with global perspectives to provide a thorough assessment of carbon cycling in shallow coastal systems. It advocates the expansion of blue-carbon ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes) into macroalgal beds, tidal flats, coral reefs, and urbanized shallow waters, demonstrating the potential of these ecosystems as new carbon sinks. Moreover, it discusses not only topics that are currently the focus of blue-carbon studies, i.e., sedimentary carbon stock and accumulation rate, but also CO2 gas exchange between the atmosphere and shallow coastal ecosystems, carbon storage in the water column as refractory organic carbon, and off-site carbon storage. Including highly original contributions, this comprehensive work inspires research beyond the specific regions covered by the chapters. The suite of new concepts and approaches is refreshing and demonstrates that blue-carbon research is indeed a vibrant new field of research, providing deep insights into neglected aspects of carbon cycling in the marine environment. At the same time the book provides guidance for policy makers to deliver benefits to society, for example the inclusion of blue carbon as a carbon offset scheme or the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in the Paris Agreement, and also for building resilience in coastal socio-ecosystems through better management. This book is intended for all those interested in the science and management of coastal ecosystems.

Coastal Environments

Coastal Environments PDF

Author: R. W.G. Carter

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2013-10-22

Total Pages: 634

ISBN-13: 0080502148

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This original volume draws on the author's own research experiences in Ireland, Britain, France, Canada, and the United States to present a guide of coastal environments for applications of shoreline and environmental management. Topics include: long-term development of coasts, water supply and waste disposal, energy resources and coastal water management, coastal water management for recreation, coastal management of storm hazards, and managing world sea-level rise.

Coastal Wetlands

Coastal Wetlands PDF

Author: Gerardo M.E. Perillo

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2009-01-18

Total Pages: 975

ISBN-13: 0080932134

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Coastal wetlands are under a great deal of pressure from the dual forces of rising sea level and the intervention of human populations both along the estuary and in the river catchment. Direct impacts include the destruction or degradation of wetlands from land reclamation and infrastructures. Indirect impacts derive from the discharge of pollutants, changes in river flows and sediment supplies, land clearing, and dam operations. As sea level rises, coastal wetlands in most areas of the world migrate landward to occupy former uplands. The competition of these lands from human development is intensifying, making the landward migration impossible in many cases. This book provides an understanding of the functioning of coastal ecosystems and the ecological services that they provide, and suggestions for their management. In this book a CD is included containing color figures of wetlands and estuaries in different parts of the world. Includes a CD containing color figures of wetlands and estuaries in different parts of the world.

Marine Coastal Ecosystems Modelling and Conservation

Marine Coastal Ecosystems Modelling and Conservation PDF

Author: Marco Ortiz

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-12-16

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 3030582116

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The book presents a collection of large-scale network-modeling studies on coastal systems in Latin America. It includes a novel description of the functioning of coastal complex ecosystems and also predicts how natural and human-made disturbances percolate through the networks. Coastal areas belong to the most populated ecosystems around the globe, and are massively influenced by human impacts such as shipping, mining, fisheries, tourism, pollution and human settlements. Even though many of these activities have facilitated socio-economic development, they have also caused a significant deterioration in natural populations, communities and ecosystems worldwide. Covering coastal marine ecosystems of Latin America such as the NE and SE Pacific, NW Atlantic and Caribbean areas, it discusses the construction of quantitative (Ecopath-Ecosim-Ecospace and Centrality of Node Sets) and semi-quantitative (Loop Analysis) multispecies trophic-network models to describe and assess the impacts of natural and human interventions like pelagic and benthic fishing as well as natural events such as El Niño, and La Niña. The book also features steady state (and/or near moving equilibrium) and dynamical models to support the management of exploited organisms, and applies and quantifies macroscopic indices, based on Ascendency (Ulanowicz) and Local Stability (Levins ́ Loop Analysis). Further, it discusses the determination of the Keystone Species Complex Index, which is a holistic extension of the classical concept of Keystone Species (Paine), offering novel strategies for conservation monitoring and management.

Coastal Ecosystems of the Tropics - Adaptive Management

Coastal Ecosystems of the Tropics - Adaptive Management PDF

Author: Velmurugan Ayyam

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-10-11

Total Pages: 595

ISBN-13: 9811389268

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The coastal areas of the tropics are rich in biodiversity, natural resources and place of intensive developmental activities as it provides livelihood to millions of people. At the same time evidences suggest that several unique coastal ecosystems viz., mangroves, wetlands, salt marshes, corals, estuaries, sand dunes and agro-ecosystem are vulnerable to natural disasters and events associated with global climate change. In recent times degradation of land, water and genetic erosion besides threat to native flora and fauna have been increasing due to unsustainable developmental activities. Therefore, a paradigm shift in deriving livelihood through conventional methods, developmental strategies, conservation practices are required for balanced and sustainable growth of the coastal areas. This publication strives to cover the status of different natural resources of the coastal region, various aspects of degradation process, production need and restorative methods besides new technological options and its socio-economic implications with case examples. Special focus is given to bring out the scope and potential of mangrove based farming, integrated and organic farming and its value addition besides the role of coastal vegetations as bioshield in protecting these regions from sea erosion, cyclones and tsunami. As the tropical coastal areas are vulnerable to climate change events, this book also covers the recent weather pattern, impacts of climate change and climate resilient technologies besides intuitional linkages and policy framework aimed at balancing development and environmental concerns.

Ecological Impacts of Tsunamis on Coastal Ecosystems

Ecological Impacts of Tsunamis on Coastal Ecosystems PDF

Author: Jotaro Urabe

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-11-08

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9784431564461

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This book focuses on the ecological impacts of the Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunamis, a rare and extremely large disturbance event, on various coastal ecosystems in Japan’s Tohoku area, including sub-tidal and tidal animal communities, sand dune plant communities and coastal forests. The studies presented here describe not only how species and populations in these ecosystems were disturbed by the earthquake and tsunamis, but also how the communities have responded to the event and what types of anthropogenic activities will hamper their recovery processes. In the ecological sciences, it is often argued that large disturbances are critical to shaping community structures and biodiversity in local and regional habitats. However, our understanding of these roles remains limited, simply because there have been few opportunities to examine and address the ecological impacts of large disturbance events. The scale of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake makes it one of the largest hazards in the past 1000 years. Thus, this book provides a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of the ecological impacts of large and rare disturbances and the implications of these events in the conservation and management of coastal ecosystems. Following an outline of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the book’s content is divided into two major parts. Part I reports on studies examining the ecological impacts of the tsunamis on sub-tidal and tidal animal communities, while Part II focuses on terrestrial plant communities in Japan’s coastal Tohoku area. This book will benefit all scientists interested in the ecological impacts of large disturbances on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in general, and especially those who are interested in the ecological management of coastal ecosystems and Ecosystem based Disaster Risk Reduction (EcoDRR).